Aerolysin



Aerolysin (Aer) is a channel-forming toxin from Aeromonas hydrophyla. It uses GPI-anchored proteins on the cell surface as receptors. Following binding it forms heptamers which insert into the cell membrane producing channels thus causing cell death. It is secreted as an inactive precursor proaerolysin (proAer) which gets cleaved by furin to produce the active Aer. The images at the left and at the right correspond to one representative Aerolysin, i.e. the crystal structure of Proaerolysin (1pre).

Aerolysin
3g4n, 3g4o – Aer (mutant)

Proaerolysin
1pre - proAer

3c0m, 3c0n, 1z52 - proAer (mutant)

3c0o - proAer (mutant)+mannose-6-phosphate